Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue have been invited to the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase by USA Hockey. The move is not a surprising one since the New York Rangers prospects helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden and remain eligible to play in the U20 tournament.
Perreault and Fortescue are among 10 players returning after winning gold In Sweden this past January. The Rangers draft picks each play for Boston College and will joined at the showcase by four of their Eagles teammates: Aram Minnetian and Ryan Leonard, and incoming freshmen James Hagens and Teddy Stiga.
While representing the United States in the 2024 tournament, Perreault scored three goals and had seven assists for 10 points in seven games. Fortescue had four points with a goal and three assists in seven games to go along with a strong plus-6 rating and six penalty minutes as he was often deployed on the top defensive pairing for the Americans, being tasked with shutting down opposing teams top offensive forwards.
Perreault was New York’s first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old forward had 60 points ( 19 goals, 41 assists) in 36 games as a Freshman at BC last season. His 1.67 points-per-game average was third best in the nation, and slightly behind Macklin Celebrini of Boston University (1.68), who’s expected to be No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft by the San Jose Sharks.
Fortescue was selected in the third round last season by the Rangers. He had eight points (four goals, four assists) and was a plus-13 in 40 games at BC last season.
Key Rangers prospects to take part in World Junior Summer Showcase
USA Hockey invited five goaltenders 16 defensemen and 25 forwards — 46 players in total — to participate. No other Rangers prospects are in that group.
The event is scheduled for July 26 through August 3 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
In addition to daily practices, the week-long World Junior Summer Showcase will include nine international games which will also include players from Canada, Finland and Sweden. The event serves as an evaluation for players seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held Dec. 26, 2024, through January. 5 2025 in Ottawa.
The United States will have two separate teams to begin the event, with USA White beginning play against Finland at 1:00 PM on Sunday, July 28, followed by USA Blue taking on Sweden at 4:00 P.M. The next day, the respective squads will swap opponents, as USA Blue will face Finland at 1:00 PM on Monday, July 29th and USA White is scheduled to skate against Sweden at 4:00 PM. A consolidated roster will challenge Finland on Wednesday, July 31 and Sweden on Friday, Aug. 2 before a showdown against Canada to conclude the event on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Former Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck will serve again as general manager of the U.S. National Junior Team for the seventh straight year. Coach David Carle and his staff will be behind the bench for the second consecutive year. The Americans have medaled in seven of the past nine World Juniors.
